Free Fire Zones were areas that had supposedly been cleared of all civilians and friendly personnel. These areas were then basically massacred. Soldiers were instructed to fire upon anything or anyone that moved. These areas were believed to contain Northern Vietnamese soldiers. The U.S. was basically getting really frustrated by the North's soldiers fighting with their guerilla style. These guerillas would ambush and attack units and then retreat and almost disappear. The U.S. then resorted to as we can see bombing entire areas if it was believed that there were Northern soldiers or Viet Cong there.
Free Fire Zones
Free Fire Zones were areas that had supposedly been cleared of all civilians and friendly personnel. These areas were then basically massacred. Soldiers were instructed to fire upon anything or anyone that moved. These areas were believed to contain Northern Vietnamese soldiers. The U.S. was basically getting really frustrated by the North's soldiers fighting with their guerilla style. These guerillas would ambush and attack units and then retreat and almost disappear. The U.S. then resorted to as we can see bombing entire areas if it was believed that there were Northern soldiers or Viet Cong there.
Citations:
Hersh, Seymour M. (January 24), "The Coming Wars", The New Yorker, http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/01/24/050124fa_fact?currentPage=all
Lewis M. Simmons, "Free Fire Zones", in Crimes of War: What the Public Should Know, Roy Gutman, Ed, W. W. Norton & Company, July 1999